Teaching About Labor Issues and the Wisconsin Worker Fight Back

[mzteris]

http://rethinkingschools.org/news/WIProtestTeachingResources.shtml

According to labor historian Mark J. Naison, the movement of workers that began in Wisconsin and is now spreading to other states is "the most important labor struggle in the United States in the 21st century."

The current uprising of workers in Wisconsin and other states presents a powerful opportunity to teach students about what the protests are about and why their teachers and neighbors are joining the struggle. It's an opportunity to critically examine issues, and to model for students responsible civic action and engagement in the political process.

As members of teacher unions, we have an additional responsibility, summarized by the late Howard Zinn in an interview published in Transforming Teacher Unions:

"If teacher unions want to be strong and well-supported, it's essential that they not only be teacher unionists but teachers of unionism. We need to create a generation of students who support teachers and the movements of teachers for their rights."


-more-
http://rethinkingschools.org/news/WIProtestTeachingResources.shtml

[SlimJimmy]

1. Since when is teaching "unionism" a teachers job? A teacher can

teach about unions, and a teacher can teach about how organized labor was formed, and how collective bargaining works. But they should NEVER take a political side when teaching.

[Hangingon]

2. +1!